Yes, the Envato Elements plugin for WordPress has been discontinued, and it isn’t coming back. Envato shut down all of its Elements extensions on August 21, 2025, and installed copies stopped working that day.
The good news: your Envato Elements subscription still works, template kits can still be imported, and there are solid plugins for getting stock photos into WordPress. Here is everything you need to know as of 2026.
In short:
- The plugin is permanently closed on WordPress.org. Remove it from your site.
- Template kits now install from a downloaded ZIP file, using Envato’s free Template Kit Import plugin or Elementor’s own importer.
- For free stock photos inside WordPress, Instant Images is the simplest replacement. For licensed stock, look at StockPack.
- If you also used the old Pixabay Images plugin, remove it too. It was closed for a security issue in 2025.
What happened to the Envato Elements plugin
The plugin, listed on WordPress.org as “Envato Elements – Photos & Elementor Templates,” let Envato Elements subscribers browse and import stock photos and Elementor template kits right from the WordPress dashboard. It was widely used by designers and agencies.
In a help center announcement, Envato explained that as of August 21, 2025, all Envato extensions for Adobe apps, Canva, Figma, mobile and WordPress were discontinued. The company said the extensions would require significant investment to maintain and that it is focusing on building new generative AI tools, available to subscribers through Envato Labs.
From that date, previously installed extensions stopped working and may show error messages.
Is it closed for good?
Yes. The WordPress.org plugin page states that the plugin has been closed as of August 21, 2025, that it is not available for download, and that the closure is permanent at the author’s request. The last version released was 2.0.16.
What still works from Envato
- Your Envato Elements subscription. You can still download photos, template kits, fonts and other items from the Envato Elements website.
- Template kits. They are now delivered as downloads you install yourself, rather than through the old plugin.
- Other Envato WordPress plugins. Envato says only the Elements extension was deactivated. Its other WordPress plugins for template kits and ThemeForest themes remain available.
What you should do now: a quick checklist
- Back up your site before you remove anything.
- Deactivate and delete the Envato Elements plugin. A closed plugin gets no more updates, including security fixes, so it shouldn’t stay installed.
- Check for the Pixabay Images plugin and remove it as well (more on that below).
- Install Template Kit Import if you still use Envato template kits.
- Pick a stock photo plugin that is actively maintained and fits how you license images.
- Review your licenses so you know which images and kits are registered to which projects.
- Test your key pages after the changes.
Plugin changes like this are exactly the kind of thing ongoing maintenance should catch. If you’d rather not track plugin closures yourself, our WordPress hosting and maintenance includes watching for discontinued and vulnerable plugins on your site.
How to remove the old plugin safely
Removing the plugin is quick. Doing it carefully avoids surprises.
Step by step
- Take a full backup of your files and database.
- In WordPress, go to Plugins, find Envato Elements, and click Deactivate.
- Visit your homepage and a few key pages to confirm everything looks right.
- Click Delete to remove the plugin files.
- Clear any caching plugin or server cache, then check your pages again.
What happens to images and templates you already imported?
Photos the plugin imported were saved into your WordPress Media Library as regular image files, and imported Elementor templates were saved into your Elementor template library. They generally remain after the plugin is removed. That’s why the backup and page check matter: they confirm it on your own site.
Why removal matters for security
Security databases such as WPScan list past vulnerabilities in this plugin that were fixed in later versions. Now that the plugin is closed, any new issue would never be patched. Removing unused and closed plugins is one of the simplest ways to reduce risk on any WordPress site.
How to import Envato template kits without the plugin
Template kits are still one of the most useful parts of an Envato Elements subscription. Here is how to install them now.
Option 1: Template Kit Import (most Envato kits)
Envato maintains a free plugin called Template Kit – Import. As of this writing it has more than 400,000 active installs and was updated within the last month.
- Download the template kit ZIP file from the Envato Elements website. Don’t unzip it.
- Make sure Elementor is installed and active, along with the theme the kit recommends (often Hello Elementor).
- Install and activate Template Kit – Import from Plugins, Add New.
- Go to Tools, Template Kit and upload the ZIP file.
- If you see a notice about requirements, click to install the add-ons the kit needs.
- Import the Global Kit Styles first, so colors and fonts are set.
- Import each template you need. They appear in your Elementor saved templates, ready to insert into pages.
Option 2: Elementor’s built-in importer (newer kits)
Some newer kits are packaged in Elementor’s own kit format. For those, go to Elementor, Tools, Import (labels can vary slightly by Elementor version) and upload the ZIP file there instead.
If the import fails
- “ZIP extension not loaded”: your server’s PHP is missing the ZIP extension. Ask your host to enable it.
- Upload size errors: large kits can exceed your host’s upload limit. Your host can raise it.
- Missing styles: import the Global Kit Styles before individual templates.
The best Envato Elements alternatives for stock photos in 2026
For photos, you have two good paths. You can download images from the Envato Elements website and upload them yourself, or you can use a plugin that searches stock libraries from inside WordPress. Here are the options we’ve reviewed, with their status as of October 2026.
| Option | Image sources | Account needed? | Status (Oct 2026) | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Instant Images | Unsplash, Openverse, Pixabay, Pexels, Giphy | No | Active; version 7.2.0; 100,000+ installs | Fast, free photos for pages and blog posts |
| StockPack | Unsplash, Pixabay, Pexels, Adobe Stock, Getty Images, iStock, Depositphotos, Magnific | Free account after a usage limit; paid libraries need their own accounts | Active; version 3.7.1; updated within the last week | Searching free and licensed stock in one place |
| Openverse in the block editor | Openly licensed images | No | Built into the block editor’s Inserter Media tab | Quick, openly licensed images with no extra plugin |
| Getty Images plugin | Getty Images | Yes, for licensing | Not updated in about three years; not tested with recent WordPress releases | Use with caution, if at all |
| Pixabay Images plugin | Pixabay | No | Closed on WordPress.org on June 13, 2025 for a security issue | Remove it if installed |
| Manual download from Envato Elements | Envato Elements library | Your subscription | Works; this is Envato’s recommended workflow | Keeping the Envato look and license |
Instant Images: the easiest drop-in replacement
Instant Images searches five free libraries from inside WordPress and imports images to your Media Library in one click. No accounts are required because it includes default API keys. You can edit the file name, alt text, title and caption before uploading, which helps with search and accessibility. It works in the block editor sidebar, in the media window, and with page builders including Elementor, Beaver Builder, Brizy and Divi.
StockPack: one tab for free and licensed stock
StockPack adds a tab to your Media Library that searches several providers at once, including Adobe Stock, Getty Images, iStock and Depositphotos alongside free libraries. You can test watermarked previews, then license through your own account with each paid provider. It’s a good fit for businesses that want premium, licensed images without leaving WordPress.
Openverse: already in your editor
The WordPress block editor includes a Media tab in the Inserter that can search Openverse, a library of openly licensed images. It’s handy for quick needs, though image quality and relevance vary, so check each image’s license and attribution terms.
A note on the old recommendations
When we first wrote this post, the Pixabay Images plugin was a common suggestion. It has since been closed for a security issue, which is a good reminder to check a plugin’s status and last update date before relying on it.
Envato Elements vs. Envato Market: what’s the difference?
This trips up a lot of people, especially now that the plugin is gone. Envato runs two different ways to buy creative assets.
| Envato Elements | Envato Market (ThemeForest, CodeCanyon and others) | |
|---|---|---|
| How you pay | Subscription with unlimited downloads | Pay per item |
| What you get | Photos, template kits, fonts, graphics, video, audio and more | Individual themes, plugins, templates and assets |
| License | Each download registered to one project | License terms set per item purchased |
| Affected by the August 2025 change? | Yes, the Elements WordPress plugin was discontinued | Envato says its ThemeForest-related WordPress plugins remain available |
If you bought a theme on ThemeForest, the plugin closure doesn’t change that purchase. If you relied on an Elements subscription to pull photos and kits into WordPress, the workflow has changed to downloads, as described above.
When a template kit becomes a maintenance headache
Template kits are a fast way to launch a good-looking site. Over time, though, some kit-based sites end up depending on many add-on plugins, each with its own update schedule. When one of those add-ons is discontinued, the site can become harder to keep current.
Signs your kit-based site may be due for a cleaner foundation:
- Updates regularly break layouts or widgets.
- The site relies on several page-builder add-ons you don’t fully use.
- Pages are slow, especially on phones.
- Nobody is sure which plugins are safe to remove.
If that sounds familiar, a rebuild can make life simpler. Our custom WordPress website design is built to keep plugins lean and updates routine.
Don’t forget licensing
Switching tools doesn’t change the rules. Every image library has its own license terms.
Envato Elements license basics
Under the Envato Elements license, each download is registered to a single project. Items used in a project you completed while subscribed stay licensed for the life of that project, even after your subscription ends. You can’t use items to create new projects after you cancel, and if a project isn’t finished when you cancel, the license for those items ends.
Good licensing habits
- Keep a simple record of which images and kits were registered to which website.
- Read the license for free libraries too. Some limit selling unaltered images or using recognizable people in ads.
- Treat editorial-only images as editorial. They usually can’t be used in advertising.
- When in doubt, use your own photography. Real photos of your team, office and work build more trust anyway.
Best practices after you switch
- Compress images. Large photos slow pages down. Use an image optimization plugin or resize before uploading.
- Write real alt text. Describe what’s in the image. It helps visitors using screen readers and helps search engines understand the page.
- Use clear file names. “mount-pleasant-dental-office.jpg” says more than “IMG_4821.jpg.”
- Keep plugins updated. Any plugin you add becomes part of your maintenance routine.
- Review plugins every few months. Remove what you no longer use, and check that the rest are still actively maintained.
That last step is the real lesson from the Envato change. Plugins come and go, and closures don’t always come with much warning. Our WordPress care plan checklist shows how to build plugin reviews into a regular maintenance schedule.
How we handle it for our clients
On our own projects, we moved to a mix of tools: Instant Images for quick, free photos, licensed stock where a brand needs it, and Envato template kits installed through Template Kit Import. Most importantly, we removed the closed plugins.
For sites we look after, the CORE Team watches for closed or vulnerable plugins, tests updates before they go live and reports what changed each month in plain English. If you want that handled for you, learn more about our managed WordPress care. If you’d like a quick check of what’s installed on your site today, request a free website review.
